Planet Online
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Planet Online
| logo = Image:Planet Online logo blue.png
| type =
| industry = Internet Service Provider
| fate = Acquired by Energis Squared
| predecessor =
| successor =
| founded = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1995|07}}
| founder = {{unbulletedlist|
- Paul Sykes
- Peter Wilkinson}}
| defunct = {{End date|df=yes|2000|08}}
| hq_location_city = Leeds
| hq_location_country = United Kingdom
| area_served =
| key_people =
| products =
| owner =
| num_employees =
| num_employees_year =
| parent =
| website = {{Official website}}{{dead link|date=April 2014}}
}}
Planet Online was a UK business-to-business Internet Service Provider. Based in Leeds, it was started by local businessman and multi-millionaire Peter Wilkinson and Paul Sykes in July 1995.
Managed from a purpose-built NOC in Leeds, Planet's network was first switched on in October 1995 with over 2,000 businesses connected by the end of the following year.{{cite web|url=http://planet.net.uk/about/about.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19971221103718/http://planet.net.uk/about/about.htm|archivedate=21 December 1997|url-status=dead|title=About Planet|date=21 December 1997|accessdate=28 January 2021}} The office in Leeds was shared with hardware specialist and sister company ESS, with the two formally merging on 1 January 1997.{{cite web|url=http://planet.net.uk/online/online01/page01.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19980115211629/http://planet.net.uk/online/online01/page01.htm|archivedate=15 January 1998|url-status=dead|title=Online - Spring 1997|date=15 January 1998|accessdate=28 January 2021}} The merged company retained the Planet Online name.
Planet was sold to Energis in August 1998 for £85m {{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/160712.stm|title=The Company File | Sykes sells Planet Online|work=BBC News |accessdate=28 January 2021}} at a time when it carried around 40% of all internet traffic in the UK.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3716706.stm|title=Profile: Paul Sykes|date=5 Oct 2004|accessdate=28 Jan 2021|work=BBC News}} In August 2000, the company was renamed Energis Squared and given new branding consistent with that of its parent. It was later integrated into the rest of the Energis business, losing its separate identity.
Planet notably provided the back-end infrastructure for the consumer ISP Freeserve, led by John Pluthero, which helped it to become one of the UK's few profitable ISPs at that time. Then as Cable & Wireless Worldwide, itself led by Pluthero until 2011{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2011/nov/15/cable-and-wireless-worldwide-john-pluthero|title=Cable & Wireless Worldwide ousts chief executive and cancels dividend|first=Juliette|last=Garside|date=15 Nov 2011|accessdate=28 January 2021|work=The Guardian}} then as part of Vodafone and subsequently IBM{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/vodafone-ibm-joint-venture-2019-1|title=Vodafone and IBM sign a $550 million deal forming joint venture|first=Peter|last=Newman|website=Business Insider|accessdate=28 January 2021}} the company continues to provide similar services to Freeserve's ultimate successor, Orange Broadband.
The company was winner of the Best Business ISP award at the ISPA Internet Industry Awards in 1999 and 2000.